Device for displaying boots or shoes



No Model.)

O. F. PORTER. DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING 3001s 0R SHOES.

No. 498,694. Patented May so, 1893.

THE :mams PETERS 9o, Primo-uma, wAsmNmnN. n. c,

Unirse .STATES Arent @erica CHARLES F. PORTER, .OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEviOE FOR DISRPLAYINGBOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECEFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,694, dated May 30, 1893. l Application iiled December 5, 1892.A Serial No.V 454,093. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

- Be itknown that I, CHARLES F. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brockton, in the county of `Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in-Devices'for Displaying Boots or Shoes;.and I do hereby declare that the following is a -tul1,;clear, and

`exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap'- pertains to make and use the same, reference vbeing had to the accompanyingdrawings,

which form a part of this specification, and in Figure ll is a perspective view of a shoe which is provided with myd'evice for displaying it. to advantage. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. r Fig. 3 is a per` spective view of the displaying device, as it would appear if removed from the' shoeandf inflated. Fig. 4 isaview of the device as it -appears when collapsed, as when not in use, or when about to be placed in a bloot or shoe;

and Fig. 5 is a detail'sectional View of ,the pneumatic valve.

j Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has for its object to display foot-wear of all kinds in a neat and attractive manner; that is to say, displaying the boot or shoe as'if it were upon a human foot, for

the purpose of showing off its it and style to thebest advantage.

To this end, my invention consists in a ilexible and collapsible shaped air-tight bag,

p or form, adapted to be inserted, in its colpiece ct, instep b, heel c, and sole-piece d. Thebag is closed at e where the ankle would be; but is provided atthis point with a pneumatic lapsed state, into a boot or shoe, and to then be inflated so as to till out the interior of the boot or shoe in the samemanner as if this Were occupied by a human foot or shaped wooden forni or last. v

Referring to the drawings, the letter A des` ignates the shoe, and B a bag of rubber orl other air-tight fabric, which is shaped approximately like a human foot, having a toe- Valve C, adapted to be connected with an airpump. This valve consists of a short tube D 'connected with the and provided with small central lbore E. At its outer end, this in alignment withthe boreI-l so as to constiopening h, which may be closed by screwing plug I, the lower end of which is reduced, as

serving as a guide fortheflo'wer end of the valve-plug when this moves up yor down within its bore or valve-chamber H, so vas to seat it.

upon the seat D. where the contracted bore F. enters the enlarged bore H. The upper end ot' the valve-plugl is made tapering, or in the form of a truncated cone, to enable the air to pass f reely-in and around it through the top aperture h, when cap K has been removed, and to tit into aperture h when the valve is closed. v It will be seen that this shapedbag, when collapsed, can easily be placed within a boot Or shoe, and by then iniiating it with air valve to an air-pump (cap K havingrst been unscrewed and removed), it will till, and, by assuming the size and proportions ola human lshoe within which it is placed, as shownin Fig. 2. After it has been inflated to its full capacity, the air-.valve C automatically closes,

tic bag against the under side of the valveplug I, which forces its upper tapering en'd up against and partially into the small aperture h so as to close the same, after which the air-pump is detached and the cap K applied', when the boot or shoe is ready for display in the window or show-case.

. As the bag B is llexible and yielding, and

by the pressure of theair confined in the elastube is screw-threaded to engage with a cor- `respondingly threaded tube G, having aborey v H. This tube G has an lexteriorly screwf Y threaded top or extension, also bored through tute a continuation thereof, but contracted at Y l its upper .end soas to form a small circular l, y

6o' down a removable threaded cap K, whichts` i rover and upon the threaded neck'or exten-l l sion of -tube G, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. e* *I Within the vertical bore H is placed avalvev Y l shown at ,vto enable it to enter'loosely the z small central` bore E in tube/ID; said' bore forming not only an 'inlet for theair throughA tubes G and D into the ilexible bag, but also .l p l y with its lower end (above the reduced stem i) by blowing through vvalve C or connecting the foot, will till up the interior of the boot o'r IOC the his with which it is husa possesses a @srtain degree of elasticity, it Will readily accommodate itself to varying sizes and shapes,

l so that one style and size of bag may be used for several different sizes and shapes of footwear.` When it is desired to Withdraw the, bag, the air-valve is simply opened and the air let out, when the bag will collapse so that it can easily be pulled out. t e

This device is inexpensive, as Well as simple and easy in its application, as it can be applied and again Withdrawn in a moment of time.

Another advantage its lightness (as contrasted with Wooden lasts or shaping forms),

which permits of its being used with shoesv displayed on the thin glass shelves of showcases' Without danger of breaking them. Again, these collapsed forms, which are light in 'weight andV take up but little room when not inflated, can be carried conveniently in the trunks of traveling salesmen and'drummers, and used by them in displaying their samples to the best advantage.

Having thus described my invention, I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesy As an improved article, a flexible air-tight bag approximating in shape and size that of a human foot,'adapted to be inserted into a boot or shoe, andprovided with a short tube Witnesses: p

yJfJ. DOWD, v l H. A. Pootn.

cHARLEsF. PORTER. f 

